Well let’s start with the bad news: after I played with the idea of doing a mint-pistachio pesto last week, got really excited about it, did some research, made a list, and went to the store…they were out of mint.
But you do what you can with what you have, and make the best of what’s around (that’s a Teddy Roosevelt-Dave Matthew’s quote mashup right there, folks), and even when the Giant near my house runs out of things, they never seem to run out of parsley, so I bought some. The pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seeds) were nearby, cheap, and a gorgeous green so I grabbed them too.
(And look at the nutrition facts on these guys – so much fiber and protein in just a 1/4 c! Truth be told, I didn’t notice they were roasted in oil til after I made it; not ideal but it was canola oil, which is high in monounsaturated fat)
This was entirely and experiment, but it ended up tasting amazing because I followed Sarah’s Rules of Pesto, which are:
- Choose a fresh herb
- Choose a leafy green (kale, spinach, and chard work well)
- Choose a nut or seed
- Blend with olive oil, parmesan cheese, and a clove of garlic
- Use a 2:2:1:1:1:1 ratio for the above
I have yet to find a combination that doesn’t work with this method!
So here are the star ingredients:
And the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1c fresh parsley leaves
- 1 c frozen kale
- 1/2 c pepitas
- 1/2 c parmesan cheese
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 1 clove raw garlic
Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth, adding a splash of water if pesto is too thick. Serves 6 at 230 calories, 20g fat (4 sat), 5g protein, 1g fiber, 7g carb, 50% vitamin A, 30% vitamin C.
Why this recipe “works” for you: parsley is a breath-freshening herb, so it cancels out the garlic. The high amount of vitamins A&K from the parsley and kale are best absorbed with fat, provided by the pepitas and olive oil.
Enjoy on pasta, fish, chicken…in an omelet, as a layer of egg’s benedict, with crackers and cheese, roll into some turkey or spread on a sandwich….this is the condiment that goes almost anywhere!
yum yum yum. Thanks for sharing ideal combo for pesto. will have to keep that in mind..
You are welcome…please report back with any combos you try!
Love that you share a “pesto formula” – your combo sounds divine!